Sweet Christmas Kisses (40 page)

“No, thank you.” He bent down, lifted Dimitri from his feet, and got up. “I'd better leave now. Thank you for dinner.”

Joanna followed him with a sinking feeling. Had she said something wrong?

At the door, he bent down and clasped the leash onto Dimitri's collar.

She opened the door.

He straightened and looked at her. “I believe you have a bean in your hair.”

“What?”

“Keep still.” He lifted his hand and pulled something from her hair, then threw it into the snow-covered garden.

He was so close. Joanna caught her breath.
If only he didn't smell so enticing.

A few snowflakes trundled through the door.

Joanna hardly noticed. His blue eyes mesmerized her. Her hands lifted all by themselves.

He caught them in his and pulled her closer.

She stretched on tiptoes and touched his lips for a fleeting instant. At least, that's what she had planned to do, if planning was the right word for something born from sheer instinct. But the second her lips touched his, warm, determined, she couldn't stop. Didn't want to stop. Her mouth opened, and she fell into the kiss without constraint, relinquishing all control over her senses. She could feel his heartbeat, his hands in her hair, tender, and yet, challenging her, luring her forward.

Something heavy sat on her feet, butted against her legs. Joanna frowned and looked down. “Dimitri.” She cleared her throat and fell back into reality with a thud. Had she dreamed the last minute?

“Oh, has he chosen your feet this time?” In spite of the light words, his voice sounded rough, and he looked at her with a puzzled gaze.

“Looks like it.”

He took a step back as if she had suddenly developed a contagious illness. “Listen, Joanna.”

“Yes?” Her smile was insecure, confused.

“I'm sorry.” Conran turned on his heels, picked up Dimitri with one quick scoop, and hurried down the drive.

I

“I need to talk to her NOW, Bernice.” Hugh's voice was loud enough to be heard through the closed door.

Joanna raised her head and listened. Hugh? What on earth was he doing in the clinic?

The door flew open and Hugh strode in. 

Joanna waited for the familiar pang of pain in her heart as she looked at his handsome face, but nothing happened.
Curious
. “Hugh.” She turned her back to him and pretended to check the contents of a tray. “What a surprise.” She made sure her voice sounded light.

“I'm sorry, Joanna.” Bernice appeared in the door frame and shrugged. “He barged in here and said it was urgent, though he doesn't even own a pet.” She gave Hugh a malevolent glance.

“It's not your fault.” Joanna said over her shoulder. “Some people think rules don't apply to them.”

Hugh glared at her. “What were you doing kissing Conran Dark yesterday?”

Joanna froze.

“Conran Dark!” Bernice started forward and grabbed the sleeve of Joanna's white lab coat. “You kissed Conran Dark!” Her voice was loud enough to be heard in half the town.

Darn.
Joanna closed her eyes for a brief moment, regrouping her forces.
Attack is the best form of defense.
“May I ask why you're interested in who I kiss?” She tried to put on a bored expression. Her heart thumped.

“So it's true?” Bernice shriek made the doors of the glass cabinets rattle. “You kissed him? What was it like? I bet he's a great kisser!” She took a deep breath. “Tell me! I want . . . “

“Bernice!” Joanna had to shout to be heard. “Can you give me a bit of privacy here? Please?” She pointed at the open door.

Bernice drew herself up. “You're becoming mighty stand-offish now that you're hobnobbing with celebrities. Think we're not good enough anymore for you?” She turned on her heels and slammed the door shut.

Joanna stared after her, helpless.
I'm having a nightmare.
Any minute she would wake up. This couldn't be Bernice, exuberant, friendly Bernice, who had begged her to give her a chance two years ago, after she had left high-school in disgrace. Bernice, who said what she thought without thinking, but had an underlying loyalty that was a fierce as it was hidden because it didn't fit to the image she had of herself.

Hugh stepped into her line of vision. “Good riddance. Can you answer my question now, please?” His dark hair was slicked back, his clean-shaved chin grim.

He's not as tall as Conran.
Joanna leaned her hip against the stainless steel table and shoved her hands into the pockets of her lab coat.
And his eyes have no expression at all. Kind of dead, they are. Funny. Why have I never noticed this before?
She lifted her chin. “You have no right to ask me any question at all.”

He started forward. “We're engaged.”

“No.” She shook her head. “We WERE engaged. Until you jumped into bed with a beautiful singer.” She made sure her voice sounded ironic.

He balled his fist with impatience. “I told you it was a one-time lapse. Gosh, the way you behave, anyone would believe I've committed a capital offense.” He narrowed his eyes and pushed his face forward, a mere two inches from her face. “I don't care for your holier-than-thou attitude, Joanna. I'm human, and human beings make mistakes.”

She shrugged. “Fine. You've made your mistake, and now you have to live with the consequences. That's only fair.”

“I don't believe this.” He drew himself up. “Who are you, Ms. Perfect? You go around smooching in the dark with Hollywood celebrities and tell ME I'm cheating on you? I think . . .”

Joanna clenched her teeth and pointed at the door. “Out.”

“Joanna! Have some sense.” He reached for her hand. “Please reconsider what you're doing. This Hollywood-affair is nothing but a fling. Think of what you're giving up. Your clinic might not always do well, and our marriage would offer you security. I . . . “

Joanna freed her hand. “Out. Now.” Her voice quivered with rage. “If you don't go, I'll call the sheriff.” She turned on her heels, went to the phone, and lifted the receiver. As the sheriff played golf with Hugh most weekends, her threat was less impressive than it sounded. She knew that, but she forged ahead and dialed the number, hoping it would do the trick.

“I will go.” His voice was low and threatening. “But you'll regret it, Joanna.” He left the room with two hasty strides.

Joanna stared after him. Her whole body shook. How could she have been in love with him?

Bernice stormed into the room. “Thank God, he's gone. Good riddance.”

Joanna managed a smile. “He said the same of you.”

Bernice shrugged. “I never liked him.”

Joanna hugged herself. “You never said so.”

“It wouldn't have lead anywhere.” Bernice pressed her lips into one thin line. “You were besotted.”

“Oh. Thanks.” Joanna managed a shaky laugh. “I'd never have thought you would hold anything back.”

“True, I'm not always diplomatic,” Bernice admitted, “but in this case even I could tell it would have been useless.”

Joanna choked.
Not always diplomatic.
That was the understatement of the year. She forced herself to get back to business. “Who's next?”

Bernice looked at her, her eyes wide. “Did you really kiss Conran Dark?”

Joanna clenched her teeth and looked at her curled fingers against the stainless steel table, ready to scratch the surface in exasperation. “Of course not.”

Bernice gave her a searching look. “But you met him last night?”

“Not really.” He had turned up on her doorstep. That wasn't a meeting. Joanna turned to the tray and picked up an instrument at random. “Who's next?”

“Mr. Mountbatten. His cat has an ulcer. I'll get him.”Bernice gave her a dark look and walked out of the examining room.

An hour later, Joanna tried to finish her notes on a complicated case, but she found it hard to concentrate and caught herself staring out of the window more than once.

Bernice poked her head through the door. “Guess who just called.”

Joanna woke from her daydream with a start. “Hmm?”

“Conran Dark.” Bernice gave her a sweet smile. “He says Dimitri is much better after your help yesterday.”

“Oh.” Joanna swallowed. Of course Bernice knew that Conran Dark had not been to the clinic within the last twenty-four hours, so it was now evident she had lied to her when she had told her assistant she hadn't met Conran last night.
Great.

“He also said you forgot to tell him how much he has to pay, and asked me to send him an invoice, including the late-hour-surplus-charges.” She put a hand on her hip and tapped her foot. “Interesting.”

Joanna gave her a bland smile. “Is it?”

Their eyes locked.

“You should know something else,” Bernice added slowly. “He didn't give me a local address. Just an official one for his secretary in California.”

Joanna didn't reply.

“Looks like he won't be staying much longer in the area.”

II

“You kissed Conran Dark?” Sally's voice shrieked through the phone.

Joanna winced and held the phone away from her ear. “Would you lower your voice, please? I'm at the supermarket, and if you continue to shout like that, every single customer here can overhear our conversation.”

“Where are you?” Sally stressed the first word.

“At your favorite supermarket, my dear.”

“Weldbaum's?”

“Of course Weldbaum's. I need to stock up on groceries.”
In case Conran stops by again. No, that is not the reason!
Joanna shook her head. How besotted can one person get? First Hugh, who turned me blind to all his mistakes, now Conran, even blinder . . .
I'm hopeless.

“Is it true?” Sally's voice was breathless.

Joanna sighed. “Who told you?”

“Your father.”

“NO!” Joanna dropped a gallon of milk. The plastic container cracked open and spattered her with milk from head to toe. Disgusted, she stared at the white puddle gathering around her feet.

“What was that?” Sally asked.

“Half a gallon of milk just exploded on my feet.” Joanna closed her eyes. “I have to go.”

She disconnected and blinked at the mess all around her.

Wendy came bustling up the aisle, a bucket with water and a mop in her hand. Her bronze-tinted curls bounced with every step.

“I'm so sorry, Wendy.” Joanna felt like a white elephant. “I'm not usually so clumsy.”

“That can happen.” Wendy gave her a reluctant smile and dropped the mop into the middle of the lake. “Let me have that container.”

Joanna lifted the half-empty container and passed the dripping wreck to Wendy who pressed a towel to the leak and hurried away.

Joanna picked up the saturated mop and dropped it into the water. She rinsed it and wrung it out, then mopped up the remaining part of the milk lake.

A furry nose joined her. Two front paws splashed into in the milk. With a pink tongue and much slobbering, Dimitri lapped up the milk, his tail showing how enthusiastic he was about this unplanned culinary pleasure.

“Dimitri?”
Oh, no
. Joanna lifted her gaze inch by inch. “Hi, Conran.”

Conran Dark was wearing a woolly winter cap in bright blue and a pair of sun-glasses. His ponytail was hidden below the thick winter coat. She had to look twice before she recognized him. He looked down at her, his mouth twisting as if amused. “Do you need help?”

“Uh. No. Thank you.” Joanna dropped the mop back into the water and straightened. She wiped her hands on her jeans and gave him an embarrassed smile.
Trust me to look perfect whenever I see him.
Half-frozen, smelling of dung, covered with baked beans, and now, covered with milk.
Could it get any worse?
Behind him, she could see Wendy who had stopped as if hit by lightning.
Damn. She must have overheard his name.

“I'm glad I ran into you,” he said.

“You are?” Her heart made a somersault.

“Yes. I've been trying to buy the right food for Dimitri, but the choice is overwhelming, and I have no clue what's good for him. Maybe you can help me decide?”

Her heart, funny organ that it was, dropped into her stomach. “Sure.” Joanna looked past him and waved to Wendy. “Can I leave the rest up to you, Wendy?”

Wendy came closer without taking her eyes off Conran. “Of course,” she said. “It's Conran Dark, isn't it?”

He gave her a thin-lipped smile. “Yes.”

Wendy turned bright red. “Can you . . . do you think you would . . . I mean, . .?”

Joanna opened her handbag and took out a piece of paper and a pen. “An autograph. Sure he can give you one, can't you, Conran?”

He took off his glasses, shot Joanna a look that spoke volumes, then took the pen, and signed the paper. “Of course.” His voice sounded just a bit ironic. He returned the pen to Joanna and gave the autographed note to Wendy.

Wendy stared at the piece of paper in her hands. “Thank you, Mr. Dark.” Her voice was filled with awe. Every curl wobbled in admiration.

He gave her a brief nod, took Joanna by the elbow and led her away from the adoring Wendy, to the section with pet food. “Here we are.” He pulled Dimitri back from sniffing a paper-bag filled with dog treats. “Now which is better? Tuna or turkey? Chicken or beef?”

“The taste is up to Dimitri to decide. Your best bet would be to buy a small bag of each to see which one he likes best.” Joanna said. She liked the touch of his hand on her arm, liked to feel him close beside her. “You only have to make sure it contains enough vitamins and micronutrients. You'll find that information on the back.”

He lifted a can off the shelf and looked at it. “This one contains Zinc.” He frowned. “Doesn't sound too healthy.”

Joanna grinned. “It is. Don't worry. The important thing, as always, is balance. Not too much and not too little of everything.”

“Look here.” He turned the can so she could read the description. “Isn't ten percent fat too much for a puppy?”

She leaned forward and read the tiny text on the back. “No, that's fine. You shouldn't forget that Dimitri burns . . . “ She looked up and stopped mid-sentence, forgetting what she had been saying. What fairy had given him eyes like that?